Many of us have walked with God for a long time. My faith journey now spans over 45 years. There have been trials, but I have never regretted my decision to follow Christ. I cannot imagine life without Him, nor do I comprehend how people survive what life throws at them without having Jesus as their rock, fortress, and their deliverer (Psalm 18:2).
While I appreciate my current relationship with God, I must note that it comes with a heavy responsibility. If you are a mature Christian, you share the same burden. The responsibility entrusted to us is not only to model the life of Jesus to those who do not yet know Him but to be an example for those who are newer to the faith.
I am fortunate to have grown up in a household with a father and mother who loved and pursued Christ. I have also been a keen observer in the various stages of my life of those who were more mature in their faith than I was. By the grace of God, I have never lacked for those willing to set an example of what it looked like to walk with Jesus in their everyday lives. And now it is my turn. It’s your turn too.
If you have been following Jesus for more than an hour, you have been following Him longer than someone who has just placed their faith in Him. It is now up to you to set an example. Each of us must find those who have walked with Christ longer than we have so we, in turn, can set an example for those coming after us. No one gets a pass. If you are serious about following Jesus, you must live worthy of that call and set an example for others to follow. The apostle Paul told those in the Churches at Corinth and Philippi (and by extension all of us) to pattern their lives after his, just as he had patterned his after that of Jesus (I Corinthians 11:1; Philippians 3:17).
What an amazing claim to make. This should be the goal of every follower of Christ, that our lives look so much like that of Christ’s, if people follow our pattern, they will follow the pattern of Jesus Himself. That’s an aspiration worthy of a life’s pursuit.
Every person who claims Jesus as their Lord bears the responsibility to set an example for those who are newer in their faith. It is a sobering fact we are all setting an example every day regardless of whether we realize it. Your actions today will set an example. Are you setting an example patterned after Jesus or does it look more like that of this world? Younger Christians will watch and observe you. You will set an example. It is up to you what kind of example it will be.